Story by
'A huge blessing': Trevor Lawrence officially signs richest contract in Jaguars history
- Story by
- 'A huge blessing': Trevor Lawrence officially signs richest contract in Jaguars history
It was all smiles at the Miller Electric Center on Thursday after Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence officially put pen to paper on his new five-year, $275 million contract extension.
Lawrence becomes the highest-paid quarterback in the league, tied with Joe Burrow over the extension years. Lawrence is signed for the next seven seasons through 2030. He was drafted by the team with the first-overall pick in 2021.
Advertisement
"It felt like we all won," Lawrence said shortly after signing the deal.
Due to how the contract's cash flow will operate, Lawrence's deal will enable the team to continue investing in players either in-house or via outside free agency at least for a couple of more years.
"That was something that was important to me because it wasn't worth it to me to sacrifice being able to have a good team just so I can make some money," Lawrence later added.
ICYMI: Trevor Lawrence agrees to $275M contract extension with Jaguars, now NFL's highest-paid QB
Ultimately, though, Lawrence is happy to remain in Jacksonville, the place that took a chance on him in 2021.
Advertisement
"To be able to say that we're going to be here and have confidence and know that, that means a lot to us. We love it here, it's become home. Our families love it, families love visiting here and we've really settled in, this is home for us, so we wanted to be here long term," said Lawrence, referencing his wife Marrisa's family as well.
'Best team that we've had': Trevor Lawrence 'excited' about direction Jaguars are headed
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) greet each other after beating the Tennessee Titans on Jan. 7, 2023, sealing a playoff berth.
As Lawrence gets set to enter his fourth season with the Jaguars, he feels as though it's the best team they've had since he was drafted in 2021.
Advertisement
"I think this is definitely the best team that we've had here in my eyes just at this point in the year from what I've seen. I feel very confident in that," Lawrence said.
The Jaguars went out and signed a slew of free agents to supplement the talent on the team, including receiver Gabe Davis , defensive lineman Arik Armstead , center Mitch Morse and defensive back Darnell Savage, among others. The team also drafted receiver Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round to add to the firepower.
But, those additions aren't the only thing that gave Lawrence confidence and the desire to stay with the team long-term.
"I love our head coach. Coach [Doug] Pederson's done a great job, Press [Taylor], our offensive coordinator, the staff that we have had in place. I feel really confident in the system," Lawrence explained when asked what gave him the confidence to sign a deal now with the team. "I feel like every year I've gotten better and better in the system, and I know this year is going to be a big year to keep improving, but I feel really confident in that."
Advertisement
Though 50 regular-season games, Lawrence has completed 63.8% of his passes for 11,770 yards, 58 touchdowns and 39 interceptions. He's also added 21 total fumbles through that span.
Over the last two years under Pederson, however, Lawrence completed 65.9% of his passes for 8,129 yards, 46 touchdowns and 22 interceptions. Lawrence has a lot of room to grow, but is headed in the right direction. He doesn't necessarily feel any added pressure after signing the deal.
"Being a starting quarterback in this league is a big responsibility and the team goes as you go and I know that's a big responsibility. So, I'm not going to add any pressure on myself just based on getting this contract. It doesn't really change what I expect of myself and what the team expects of me," said Lawrence.
Advertisement
To continue moving in the right direction, Lawrence will be getting together with a couple of guys in town to work out with. In years past, Lawrence has hosted several Jaguars receivers on extravagant trips. In 2022, he took receivers on a trip to the Bahamas , for example.
This year, Lawrence is set to compete in the American Century Championship golf tournament in Lake Tahoe from July 10-14. Pederson will also be in the field.
Moving forward for Lawrence, he looks to continue earning the respect of his teammates by what he shows on the field, not necessarily just because of a new contract.
"You can respect people, but you're only going to listen to someone so much if they're not holding up their end of the deal on the field. So, I understand that those two things go hand in hand, is to earn respect and having the work ethic to back it up and then producing," Lawrence said.
Advertisement
"So those are the two things that I want to do more consistently, but I feel like I have done [that] and have proven myself to my teammates and proven the leader that I am, so I have a lot of confidence in that."
Trevor Lawrence was anticipating a contract extension soon after mandatory minicamp
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) watches the ball after bouncing it off his foot during a break between drills at the organized team activity session Monday, June 3, 2024 at EverBank Stadium's Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla.
While Lawrence was not at mandatory minicamp, part of the 30 veterans given an excused absence through the three-day affair, he was anticipating a contract agreement with the team imminently.
His agent, Jay Courie of MGC Sports, kept Lawrence appraised on the inner workings of the negotiations.
While planning for a vacation with his wife's family, Lawrence said he received a call at home last Thursday that the contract was agreed to. He said he knew the two sides were getting close to hammering home a deal.
Advertisement
"I knew we were getting pretty close, so I felt confident that it would get done. Didn't exactly when, those things are kind of, it's weird, it's kind of like nothing, nothing, nothing and then ramps up last minute," Lawrence explained. "But, I felt good that we were going to get that done. Not necessarily last week, but that week I knew that we were headed in the right direction."
Lawrence said that he and the team's goal was to have the deal done by training camp so he and the team could put everything toward this year and bringing a championship home to Jacksonville.
Asked about the unique length of the goal, Lawrence joked that the deal was originally set to be for 15 years, but then explained that he and his agent were looking for a four to five-year deal.
"I knew we wanted to be here and then there's always a balancing act of however many years you do. Sometimes that can put the team in a better position, which is great," Lawrence said. "That was our goal, which I'm glad I feel like we were able to accomplish," said Lawrence, later describing the deal as a balancing act.
Advertisement
"Obviously, there was a certain amount that, as a player, you want to make and you want to be in the market value, all those things, but you always want to keep the team in a good position to where we can pay other guys and have players around me and do all those things," he added.
Lawrence's cap hits remain relatively low until the 2027 season when it jumps to $35 million .
"I'm grateful that they see the value in me and I really feel confident in what we can accomplish here," said Lawrence.
'A huge blessing': Trevor Lawrence says money won't change him
Though Lawrence is set to make the most money he's ever made in his life, he says it won't change him. Lawrence added that he has a great support system and has been fortunate to already have acquired wealth through his time in the league, gaining an understanding of just how to manage it.
Advertisement
"I've always said it's a blessing and I don't want to sound insensitive because to people that maybe don't have the finances, it is a big deal and it means a lot and it gives you freedom. But, at the end of the day, it's just money," said Lawrence.
"You can buy stuff with it and you can help people, but it doesn't change who you are as a person ... at the end of the day, what are you going to do? You can buy more stuff with it, I'm grateful, though. I don't want to sound insensitive to people who might struggle and don't have the finances, but at the end of the day, I think that's a good perspective to have."
The money, Lawrence says, will set him and his family up for the future, the rest of their lives. But, it's the stability he was seeking to remain in Jacksonville for the long haul.
Advertisement
"I think even more than that is the stability of being here for the long term. However many years it ends up being, I guess it could be seven, could be however many it ends up being, that's a long time. To be able to say we're going to be here and have confidence, that means a lot to us," Lawrence said."
Though money won't change him, it could evoke some funny moments during training camp for the young QB.
"They're going to kill me the first few days back for [training camp]," Lawrence said with a laugh.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 .
Advertisement
If you're a subscriber, thank you. If not, please consider becoming a subscriber to support local journalism in Northeast Florida .
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence officially signs record-breaking contract
